Book 6 / Chapter 12
Paragraph 3 - The Role of Practical Wisdom and Moral Virtue
Explanation - Part By Part
"Again, the work of man is achieved only in accordance with practical wisdom as well as with moral virtue; for virtue makes us aim at the right mark, and practical wisdom makes us take the right means."
Aristotle is saying that for a person to truly fulfill their purpose or live a good life (what he refers to as the "work of man"), two key components are needed: moral virtue and practical wisdom.
- Moral virtue is about having a good character—it helps us choose the right goals or what’s worth striving for in life. It orients us toward doing the right thing in a broad, overarching sense (aiming at the "right mark").
- Practical wisdom (or phronesis) is more about the how. It enables us to figure out the best way to achieve those goals and make decisions that lead to the right outcomes. Essentially, it helps us find the right path to get where we want to go.
In simpler terms: It’s not enough to just want to do good or live well (moral virtue); you also need the ability to figure out how to do it effectively in real-world situations (practical wisdom). Both are essential and work together to achieve a life of fulfillment.
"Of the fourth part of the soul-the nutritive-there is no such virtue; for there is nothing which it is in its power to do or not to do."
Aristotle here is dividing the soul into different "parts," and one of these parts is the nutritive part, which is responsible for basic biological processes like growth, nutrition, and sustaining life. He argues that this part of the soul doesn’t possess virtue in the way the rational or moral parts do because it doesn’t operate under choice or reasoning.
In other words, the nutritive part of the soul functions automatically—it’s not something we consciously control or make decisions about. You don’t choose to digest food or decide how your body grows. Since virtue, for Aristotle, involves deliberate actions and choices guided by reason (like aiming at what’s morally right or practically wise), the nutritive part is excluded from discussions about ethics or virtue. It simply exists to keep life going, without any moral or rational decision-making involved.